


Playing Politics

by BerryBagel



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: AU where the starks don't go to king's landing, F/M, Fluff, Gift Fic, so margaery comes north to marry robb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 17:08:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17268062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BerryBagel/pseuds/BerryBagel
Summary: Margaery expects to win the Starks' trust and loyalty when she marries Robb.  She does, but she wins more than that.





	Playing Politics

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Black_Hole_of_Procrastination](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Hole_of_Procrastination/gifts).



> Happy New Year from your Secret Santa!

Margaery is sure to ask Sansa for advice before the wedding.

 

_ My maids haven't learned the northern styles yet _ , she explains.   _ And since you always look so lovely, I had hoped you could help me. _

 

Under the girl’s tutelage, Margaery’s maids do a perfectly passable job of twisting her hair back into a mess of braids.  She considers herself in the mirror. She doesn't convincingly look the part of a northerner, but then, no one would expect her to.  The wedding guests will be expecting a delicately wilting southern lady. She can win their favor just by smiling and steeling herself against the cold.

 

Sansa titters around the room.  She's always wanted a sister like Margaery.  The younger Stark daughter will be a bit more difficult.  Not too much more difficult, but Arya doesn't share her sister’s sensibilities.  Certainly, Margaery won’t be bonding with her over hair braiding.

 

Margaery has yet to meet the man who will be her lord husband.  She has heard that his appearance favors the auburn-haired Tully look, and he has no bastard children.  She expects she will have no difficulty with Robb Stark.

 

* * *

 

The wedding ceremony was astoundingly fast.  Robb holds her hand almost laughably gently. He doesn't look at the congregation even once during the vows.  In fact, he doesn't even look away from her face. He doesn't seem to want to flaunt his new wife in the same way Renly had.

 

Even now, as they sit at the reception, she turns to find him looking at her again.  It's strange, for him to act like this ceremony is between the two of them, alone.

 

Margaery shivers involuntarily, because it  _ is _ very cold up north.  Almost instantly her husband moves to wrap another cloak around her shoulders.  Really, it's an unnecessary gesture.

 

But it is appreciated.

 

* * *

 

Catelyn Stark approaches her after the wedding.   _ This is it _ , Margaery thinks.  Here comes a veiled barb so the new daughter-by-law learns her place.  At the very least, Margaery expects to be disparaged for forgoing the bedding ceremony.

 

Margaery is prepared to emphasize that it was Robb’s idea to omit the bedding ceremony, and that she had been very well bedded, regardless.  But Lady Stark merely wishes to welcome Margaery to Winterfell. There's a sept Margaery is welcome in, Lady Stark explains, if she does not want to take up the old gods.  Lady Stark tells Margaery that she understands how difficult it must have been to uproot her whole life and come here.

 

How incredibly strange, Margaery thinks.

 

* * *

 

Margaery’s initial impression is that Robb must have been very bored, before she came to Winterfell.  There's absolutely no need for him to spend so much time making sure she's comfortable, showing her around.  She's been inside a castle before.

 

Still, she smiles and laughs, happy enough to let him lead her around by the hand.  After all, the more he loves her, the more powerful she is. That’s the important thing, having the power.

 

Lying awake at night, curled up against him, warm and safe, she wonders if perhaps that isn't the  _ only _ important thing.

 

* * *

 

Renly had preferred to keep seperate quarters.  It was more convenient, for both of them. Renly was a late riser in the morning, and Margaery felt no particular need to be privy to what her husband did during the evenings.  Renly was dear to Margaery, and they had made an excellent pair.

 

Margaery expects that she and Robb will come to be an excellent pair in a very different way.  She feels the expected satisfaction and success as the northerners come to love her. But she feels a very different satisfaction when her husband places a hand on the small of her back, or when she wakes up wrapped in his arms.

 

Robb introduces her to his direwolf.  She's willing to tolerate the beast. It watches her with a shockingly intelligent glare.  When she gets too close, it growls and snaps at her hand. It sleeps on their bed, between them when it can, or at Robb’s feet when nudged out of the way.  Once, Margaery tries to undress her husband while the wolf is in the room, and it becomes so agitated Robb has to chain it outside.

 

She expects Robb would be willing to keep it chained permanently, if she asked him in the right way.  Yet, that sort of request suddenly seems like a misuse of power. The animal just wants to keep Robb safe.  Instead, she offers the wolf scraps of meat from her dinner, as a sort of peace treaty.

 

One morning, it must decide she is no longer a threat, and she finds Grey Wind curled into a ball, sleeping on her side of the bed.

 

* * *

 

Robb wants to know what activities she enjoys.  She tells him she enjoys painting and singing and dancing, and she has been learning the harp.  She jokes that she enjoys gossiping with the northern ladies.

 

Margaery likes to listen to people debate and argue.  She can pinpoint who holds the power in every interaction.  She can read a treaty and guess, often remarkably accurately, at what each side stands to gain.  She tells Robb she loves playing at politics. He doesn't really understand, but it's better that way.  Margaery will conspire for the both of them.

 

They've traveled to King’s Landing once during their marriage, and Robb hated it.  He couldn't stand the way people there lied as easily as breathing, and he didn't understand the way every lord seemed to claw for power.

 

Lady Olenna visits the north from time to time.  She's pleased Margaery has found happiness, but wastes no time in reprimanding her granddaughter for becoming a soft-hearted fool.  Perhaps Winterfell has spoiled her for treachery, but Margaery will never be a fool. She's shrewd enough to recognize that she has found something worth holding on to.

 

* * *

 

Robb doesn't need Margaery’s guidance to know the Freys are bad news.  But  _ with _ Margaery’s guidance, he agrees not to go to the tournament celebrating Walda’s engagement.

 

Robb is honest and good and still so so trusting.  Margaery is doing her best to be more honest, and thinks of herself as plenty good, but she doesn't think she'll ever really be trusting.  She's going to always look out for the cruelty in the world, and if she can keep it away from Robb, all the better.

 

Margaery can barely remember the times she looked at her husband with only analytical coolness.  He sits, wholly focused on trying to pen a polite response, so she wanders to stand behind him and run a hand through his hair.  For all she teases him about constantly being underfoot, here she is trying to lure him out of the study and back into bed.

 

“I can't just tell them we don't want to go.” Robb complains, leaning his head back into her touch.

 

“Tell them your pregnant wife is bedridden, and you can't bear to leave her side.” Margaery suggests.

 

“You don't seem particularly bedridden.” Robb comments. “Or pregnant.” He turns to look up at her.  Margaery never wants his eyes anywhere else.

  
“Well, we could try and fix  _ one _ of those things,” She says.


End file.
